Recalls are an unfortunate part of the auto world, and Volkswagen is no stranger to them. The German automaker now has another one to add to the list, and this time it’s for the Jetta. Here are the Jetta models are being recalled, and what you can do if you own one.

What’s the Volkswagen Jetta recall about?

Kelley Blue Book released all the details in a short article about the new Volkswagen Jetta recall. There are currently 48,000 Jettas being recalled, and they’re the 2019 and 2020 model years. The problem is that the engine is stalling while drivers are still operating the vehicle. Volkswagen believes this to be due to the polyfuse failing.

Drivers will get two alerts when this happens. The first says, “Ignition switch off, safely stop the vehicle.” The second states, “Starter system faulty, please service vehicle.”

Volkswagen doesn’t know what the problem is

Unfortunately, Volkswagen isn’t entirely sure what is causing the 2019 and 2020 Jettas to stall. While the German automaker has a solid grasp on the fact that it’s the polyfuse failing, Volkswagen doesn’t know why it’s happening.

Regardless, Volkswagen is confident that it can solve this problem without figuring out why it is happening. Whether this is actually true or not is unclear, as Volkswagen was recently blasted for avoiding recalling the Golf for as long as possible. There was also the “dieselgate” scandal that resulted in a huge loss of money for the German automaker.

Volkswagen says it can fix the stalling issue by replacing the ignition switch. There are 2,654 warranty claims that Volkswagen believes could be connected to this problem. If this is confirmed, then owners should not be charged. 

For 2019 Volkswagen Jetta owners, it’s not a good car by any means. This is just the latest in a long line of recalls. Some of these include the tire pressure warning malfunctioning, a driver’s frontal airbag which was installed incorrectly, an ignition chime that does not work, rear coil springs that can fracture while the vehicle is being operated, the passenger side headlight which has been positioned incorrectly, and the front-wheel bearings which can stress wheel components and cause loss of vehicle control. The Jetta also does not meet all applicable regulatory requirements.

The 2020 Jetta seems to be in better shape, as the biggest complaint from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is that the headlights don’t provide enough light. Otherwise, the 2020 Jetta is considered to be a safe car.

What should you do if your vehicle is part of the Volkswagen Jetta recall?

If you receive a letter that your 2019 or 2020 Volkswagen Jetta is part of the recent recall, you need to take it to your local Volkswagen dealership. Volkswagen will not charge you for any repairs that are made to your Jetta that are related to the recall.

If you haven’t received a letter, text, or email, and aren’t sure if your Jetta is being recalled, there are other options you can take. One is to call your local dealer and ask them. The other is to check the VIN on Kelley Blue Book. This will pull up any recalls for your Jetta, or even other vehicles that you own. 

If you are interested in buying a used Volkswagen Jetta that is a 2019 or 2020, make sure that the owner has had the ignition switch replaced, as well as any other recalls on the vehicles. If you can locate one, the 2018 is considered one of the best-used cars on the market, so you should buy this model year over the 2019 or 2020.